Differential sensitivity of lymphocyte subpopulations to suppression by low density lipoprotein inhibitor, an immunoregulatory human serum low density lipoprotein.

Reports by a number of investigators have described the thymus-derived (T)-cell dependence of immunoglobulin synthesis by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulated human peripheral blood bone marrow-derived (B) cells. Because of the cooperative nature of this in vitro system, it was chosen for examination of the differential effects of low density lipoprotein inhibitor (LDL-In) on B- and T-cell functions. Supernates from 7-d cultures that contained either peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) or combinations of isolated lymphocyte populations were assayed for immunoglobulin (Ig)G by competitive inhibition radio-immunoassay. LDL-In suppression of whole PBM IgG synthesis occurred at 5-20 mug protein/ml and was independent of PWM concentration. Maximal suppression required preincubation of cells with LDL-In before stimulation. Suppression was also observed when B cells alone were exposed for 24 h to LDL-In before PWM stimulation; these suppressed B cells were not rescued by normal T cells. Exposure of T cells alone to low doses of LDL-In for 24 h augmented, but high doses suppressed, IgG synthesis, suggesting a differential effect on T-helper vs T-suppressor cell populations. Independent LDL-In exposure of T-helper or T-suppressor cell enriched populations, separated by rosetting with IgG- or IgM-coated ox erythrocytes, identified the T-suppressor cell populations as the most sensitive of the lymphocyte populations tested. The sensitivities of lymphocyte subpopulations to LDL-In, relative to PBM, were 2.8, 1.2, and 0.3 for the T-suppressor cells, B cells and T-helper cells, respectively. Thus, both B and T lymphocytes are sensitive to and can be regulated by LDL-In. In addition, the biologic activity observed when unseparated PBM are exposed to LDL-In appears to represent a composite of the sensitivity of each of the lymphocyte subpopulations.